Before you throw this awful book to the ground and run as far away from it as possible, you should probably know why. This book is the only one which describes every last detail of the Baudelaire children’s miserable stay at Heimlich Hospital, which makes it one of the most dreadful books in the world.
There are man pleasant things to read about, but this book contains none of them. Within its pages are such burdensome details as a suspicious shopkeeper, unnecessary surgery, an intercom system, anesthesia, heart-shaped balloons, and some very startling news about a fire. Clearly you do not want to read about such things.
I have sworn to research this story, and to write it down as best I can, so I should know that this book is best left on the ground, where you undoubtedly found it.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket.

Review – MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Normally we would build into the sadness that is these books but with this one we start off their and it only gets worst and worst as we read on.

Because the children lost their friends and current caretaker and were framed for murder in the ending of the last book, they are on the run and for the very first time truly on their own. They try to get in contact with Mr. Poe to try and explain things to him and hoping, with no great hope at all since he has never really been useful, that he can help them clear their names and get them off the streets and off the run. Before they can get a response from him however they are forced to move on because someone realises who they are.

I cannot really talk about this book too much without giving away a lot of spoilers so I will try and keep this review brief.

The children end up tricking their way into working in a file room that has records on many many many things after following another false lead about V.F.D. After a comment maid by the person who runs the records, they think they can finally find something out about Jacques Snicket, but when they turn up nearly completely empty in their searches, they discover a single photograph and sentence that rocks them to their core so much that their situation goes from bad to near death without them even realising it.

Page thirteen of the Baudelaire file was not a crowded sheet of paper – there was just one photography and a sentence to make an author cry himself to sleep even years after the photograph was taken, or to make three siblings sit and stare at a page for a long time, as if an entire book were printed on one sheet of paper.

The end of this book had me freaking the hell out. This is the first time I was actually thinking that someone was going to die and I was just dying on the inside and screaming at the words on the page (or the ones being read to me anyway). If at all possible the end of this book lands the children in an even worst situation than the end of the one before it, and we are left with still no answers and more questions that just make you want to cry with frustration because all of these questions and hints at things you don’t even want to hope are true because if they aren’t will break your heart must just be destroying these kids on the inside.

The sad truth is the truth is sad.

That is all I am going to give you for now. I didn’t want to have a spoiler filled review because if you don’t care about spoiler and read this I don’t want you knowing when you go in. I want you to read it then come back and discuss things with me. I need someone to talk to about these books!